Home Health Care Agency Owner in Detroit Found Guilty of Fraud

A Detroit home care agency owner has been found guilty of fraud by a federal jury. The case involved a scheme that netted about $1.6 million in fraudulent Medicare claims. The claims were for home health care services that were obtained by providing kickbacks to doctors and other medical professionals. Some of the services offered and provided were not medically necessary. All of the services were either not necessary or provided.

Editha Manzano was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud as well as one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in connection with Medicare beneficiaries. The 69 year old was also convicted of one count of health care fraud. The trial took seven days to complete, though there was no not on how long the jury deliberated.

“According to evidence presented at the trial, from 2013 to 2016, Manzano and her co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $1.6 million in fraudulent claims for home health care services in connection with Anointed Care Services, a Detroit area home health care agency.

Evidence showed Manzano paid illegal kickbacks for patients to sign up for home health care with Anointed. The evidence further showed that Manzano conspired with physicians to admit patients for home health care with Anointed when they did not qualify for such services.”

Ms. Manzano will face sentencing on April 19, 2018. Ms. Manzano and some associates falsified medical records and even signed documents that made it appear as though some clients who were accepting into the home health care program met Medicare’s requirements for receiving these services. Four other people were also charged with fraud crimes associated with this case, including two doctors and a registered nurse.

Liberty Jaramillo, 67, plead guilty to charges back in June, 2017 and is currently awaiting sentencing. Dr. Roberto Quizon also pleaded guilty at the same time and is awaiting sentencing. The 71 year old doctor is from Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit.

Dr. Victoria Gallardo-Navarra was acquitted during her trial. And Juan Yrorita, a registered nurse, is awaiting sentencing following his agreement to plead guilty.

There was no note about whether these or any other co-conspirators had testified in Ms. Manzano’s trial. It was not made clear how long Ms. Manzano could face in prison.

A Detroit home care agency owner has been found guilty of fraud by a federal jury. The case involved a scheme that netted about $1.6 million in fraudulent Medicare claims. The claims were for home health care services that were obtained by providing kickbacks to doctors and other medical professionals. Some of the services offered and provided were not medically necessary. All of the services were either not necessary or provided.